Village Voice: How Treme Can Get it Right
The Village Voice has a long, elaborate look at upcoming HBO series "Treme," which is shot and set in the New Orleans area of the same name.
Don't read too far in if you're trying to avoid spoilers, or at least skim through the parts about the actual plot -- I know I did. But then again, I've plugged up my ears and closed my eyes during each promo, not wanting to spoil a single second of it.
There are some fascinating bits in the article though from series creator David Simon on the transition from his last hit, "The Wire," to his latest venture.
"The Wire was a tract about how political power and money rout themselves," Simon told the Village Voice. "But there was no place to reference on some level why it matters, emotionally, that America has been given over to those things. This show is about culture, and it's about what was at stake.
"Because apart from culture, on some empirical level, it does not matter if all New Orleans washes into the Gulf, and if everyone from New Orleans ended up living in Houston or Baton Rouge or Atlanta. Culture is what brought this city back."
Also, The Huffington Post picked up an article by NewOrleans.com's Karen Dalton-Beninato on why "Treme" matters. One thing I took from the piece is how much fun it's going to be to nitpick the show apart. The show's producers are already anticipating locals doing this, much like we did during the infamous "gumbo parties" during the short-lived "K-Ville." The producers have named the phenomenon after a Hubig's Pie.
"In one Treme scene, a Hubig's Pie is enjoyed at a time when the factory had not reopened post-Katrina. Overmyer posits that it was a "Magic Hubig's," and every instance of creative license for the sake of the story falls under the category of "Magic Hubig's."
Treme is set to air April 11.
Variety: Disney Channel renews 'Imagination Movers'
In other TV news, Disney has renewed the "Imagination Movers" for its third season.
The comedy group started out as a bunch of dads in New Orleans playing songs for their kids. Their act ballooned in popularity until 2008, when the Disney Channel picked them up for their first season. Now they're a household name across the country, and in addition to the new season, they'll also have their first concert special.
Eyewitness News anchor Katie Moore spoke with the comedy team during the morning show last month. Click here to watch.
Daily Collegian: Alternative spring break may not be best option for student volunteers
The Penn State University student newspaper has a perspective that New Orleanians don't get to hear from very often: what it's like to sacrifice spring break partying for volunteering in New Orleans.
Student Rachel Dougherty makes the argument that, yes, while volunteering during spring break can be a great use of time and service, sometimes it's not what students may be anticipating. Often they're thrown into situations where they're in over their heads, and by the time they get up and started, it's just about time to head back home.
"The average spring break volunteer spends two days traveling, one day sightseeing and only about three or four days working in the community. Students barely get to start a project before its time for them to leave," she writes.
She also makes the point that student volunteers aren't equipped to do exhaustive repairs to homes, and without proper guidance, that can lead to disasterous consequences.
"I remember one time our organization sent a group of volunteers out to tear the roof off a house in the Ninth Ward. The group got to the neighborhood ahead of the site supervisor and decided to start work on their own. When the supervisor arrived on site, the group was happily tearing apart the roof – of the wrong house."
Nevertheless, as Bigad Shaban pointed out earlier this month, New Orleans is hurting bad for volunteers during the summer months, and that point doesn't seem to be lost on Dougherty. She just feels volunteers should know what they're getting themselves into.
"For students looking to help, volunteering over spring break is a great start," Dougherty writes. "Go to New Orleans, tear down a house, drink a couple Hand Grenades – but remember that if you really want to make a difference, the work doesn’t stop once spring break is over."
